A Gift for Ron
by CinderellaAtTheBall
Summary: Fred and George give Ron a belated birthday present...one that they hope he will find very useful. "Let me get this straight. You two have an entire shop chock-full of joke merchandise downstairs and you're giving me...a book?" "Not just any book," George grinned...


_Written for Hogwarts' Seasonal Challenges and Writing Club! Prompts (and author's notes) to follow._

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**A Gift for Ron**

Ron was curious to see what the twins had gotten him for his seventeenth burthday. He hoped it was something flashy. Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes was continuing to do well and Fred and George were flush with cash, so it wasn't like they couldn't afford something nice.

He'd had to wait a few months to get their present, what with school, the cancelled Hogsmeade visit on his actual birthday, and of course, the events of the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, but he had hoped the delay would give his brothers plenty time to pick out the perfect gift. Now, he was hovering above a faux dragon-skin sofa in the living room of the twins' flat above the shop, eagerly awaiting his gift.

The package in George's hands wasn't terribly interesting, however. Ron stared suspiciously at the thin, rectangular object.

"Is that a book?" he asked.

"Sure is, little bro," Fred answered.

Ron raised an eyebrow. "Let me get this straight. You two have an entire shop chock-full of joke merchandise downstairs and you're giving me...a _book_?"

"Not just any book," George grinned, handing it to the younger Weasley with a flourish.

"Yeah, you'll be thanking us later," Fred said with a snicker.

Ron eagerly tore off the bright yellow wrapping and pulled out the book inside. It had a sleek, jet black cover and a gilded font spelled out _Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches._

He stared at it for a moment, scratching his head. "Does it...work?" he ventured at last.

"'Course it works!" George exclaimed. "Says 'Fail-Safe' right there in the title. The last section is filled with testimonials from a bunch of blokes too, though, in case you doubted our _very honorable_ word."

"Sorry," Ron said sheepishly. "I just had to ask. Wouldn't put it past you two to give me some rubbish book as a joke."

"Nah, useful book, that," Fred smirked. "Not that I needed it, of course - Angelina fell under my spell long ago. George, on the other hand-"

George shoved him. "Git."

"Anyway," Fred continued, "we thought this might be just the book you'd need-"

"-to charm Hermione Granger," finished George.

Ron, who had been looking from one twin to the other as they spoke, burst out laughing. "Hermione? You think I-are you both mental? _Hermione?_"

"Such innocence," George said, shaking his head. "Look, Ron, we know you two have been close friends for the better part of six years-"

"-and it just might be time to take that friendship to the next level." His twin ruffled Ron's hair affectionately.

"You reckon?" Ron used the flat's floor-length mirror and some of his fingers to comb his hair back down, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Absolutely," the twins said together.

Ron frowned. "I dunno. She's a bit bossy sometimes, you know. Brilliant, too, but she doesn't let you forget it..."

"She's _stability_, Ron," said George, exasperated. "You're...well, hot-headed and kind of thick sometimes. She can balance you out with her logic and brains."

Ron looked back down at the book. "She'd never go for me. Not after _Krum_."

"Well, that's what the book is for!" Fred said cheerfully. "Don't look so glum, Ronniekins. Chapter ten," he rapped the cover of the book with his knuckles, "is all about how to stand out from the other wizards - or witches - that may have captured your witch's heart previously. Works even when that wizard is an international Quidditch legend, I'm sure."

"Great." Ron scuffed his foot against the red and gold carpet, pretending to be interested in the cramped room so he wouldn't have to look at his brothers. "Look, I'll give the book a try and let you know how it goes, alright?"

George clapped him on the back, hard, causing the younger Weasley to wince. "That's the spirit, Ron."

"I just hope this doesn't ruin our friendship," Ron fretted.

Fred and George exchanged glances.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that," George said airily. Fred nodded in agreement.

Ron peered at them through narrowed eyes. "Do you two know something you're not telling me?"

They quickly pasted identical looks of innocence on their faces.

"Not at all, no."

"We may have our guesses-"

"-but we really don't know anything for sure."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Couldn't share those guesses with me, though, could you?"

"No," the twins said in unison.

Ron threw a decorative cushion in their general direction. "Figures."

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Word count: 769

Prompts used are as follows:

**Hogwarts Seasonal Challenges (Spring)**

**Days of the Year - 1st April: write about Fred or George Weasley**

**Spring Challenge - (word) bright**

**Colours - yellow **

**Birthstones - turquoise (dialogue): "I just had to ask."**

**Flowers - daffodil (object): mirror**

**Elemental Challenge - Earth (word): stability**

**Amanda's Challenge - Dawn Summers: write about a younger sibling**

**Hufflepuff Challenge - other (colour): jet black **

**Star Chart - June solstice (word): innocence**

**Writing Club Challenges**

**Disney - theme: family genre**

**Showtime - This World Will Remember Us (word): legend **

**Amber's Attic - relationship: siblings **

**Lo's Lowdown - colour: red**

**Film Festival - dialogue: "I just hope this doesn't ruin our friendship."**

**Hogwarts Gym**

**Oliver Wood's Quidditch Training Camp Level 1 - front planks: write a fic with the restriction No Female Characters**

**Yearly Challenges**

**Insane House Challenge #695 (restriction): no Muggleborns**

_A/N: Another missing scene from the books and sort of a sequel to my one-shot "Ronniekins Worried." I imagine this takes place early in the summer after 6th year. In Deathly Hallows, Ron mentions that Fred and George gave him this book at some point. _

_I've never written a story for this many prompts before so let me know how I did!_


End file.
